Apparatus for extracting precious metals from rock, sand, &amp;c.



No. 636,675. Patented Nov. 7, I899. .1. F. LATIMER.

APPARATUS FOR EXTBAGTING PRECIOUS METALS FROM ROCK, SAND, 860.

(Application filed Nov. 10. 1898 3 (No Model.)

W/ TN E SSE S A 7'TORNE Y8.

UNITED STATES PATENT EErcE.

JAMES FRANCIS LATIMER, OF TORONTO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FERGUS DONOVAN, GEORGE STEVENSON, AND JAMES SCOTT FUL- LERTON, OF SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING PRECIOUS METALS FROM ROCK, SAND, dc.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,675, dated November '7, 1 899.

Application filed November 10, 1898. Serial No. 696 ,043. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES FRANCIS LATIMER, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing in Toronto, in the Province of Ontario and Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for the Extraction of Precious Metals from Rock, Sand, 850., of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

10 The object of the invention is to provide certain new and useful improvements in apparatus for the extraction of precious metals from pulverized, rock, sand, &c., whereby a complete separation takes place, with an economical use of water.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to theaccompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improve- 2 5 ment, and Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the same.

In carrying out my invention I prefer to use an apparatus such as illustrated in the drawings and provided with a receiver A,

0 having a hopper-bottom B, the apex of which is provided with a valved outlet C, as is plainly indicated in Fig. 2. The closed receiver A is provided on top with an inletpipe D, having a valve D and connected by 3 5 a hose, pipe, or the like, E, with a water-supply to permit water to pass under pressure into the said receiver A. Into the upper end of the latter extends the lower contracted end F of a cylinder or other receptacle F,

open at both ends, a pipe G opening into said cylinder between two outlets H and I, of which the outlet H is provided with a valve H and is arranged near the lower end of the cylinder, while the outlet I forms an over- 5 flow and is arranged at the upper end of the cylinder. The inlet-pipe G is preferably on the opposite side of the cylinder from that on which the outlet-pipes H and I are located, and the upper end of said pipe G is preferably in the form of a funnel to permit of introducing the material to be treated.

The apparatus is used as follows: The material to be treated is fed by the pipe G into the cylinder F, about midway between the outlets H and I at the side opposite thereto, and the current of water from the pipe D passes through the receiver A and the contracted end F in an upward direction in the cylinder F to meet the incoming material. Now it is evident that the heavy particles of material-such as gold, platinum, and the likereadily pass downward through the upwardly-flowing current, as the force of the latter is somewhat less than the specific gravity of the heavy particles, and consequently the particles pass through the contracted end F into the receiver A and settle in the hopperbottom B thereof. The precious metal thus collected in the receiver A can be removed from time to time by opening the valved outlet C.

It is understood that during the operation the valves D and H are opened to such an extent as to regulate the force of the upwardly-flowing current in the cylinder F, according to the material under treatment, to insure a complete separation of the precious metalsfrom the tailin gs. When the valve H is open, then only a light current is in the upper part of the cylinder F, and much of the slimes are carried off through the outletI (as experience shows can be done) without loss of the precious metals.

The pulp fed by the pipe G into the cylinder F becomes thoroughly moistened before entering, so that the coarser heavier particles readily sink at the side of the cylinder F in which the inlet of the tube G is located, and as the said particles come in contact with the strong upwardly-moving current any light material adhering to said particles is readily washed off and carried upward by the current, while the heavier particles (the precious metal) sink through the current and through the end F into the receiver A to accumulate 5 on the bottom B.

By adjusting the valves D and H the current can be so regulated as to concentrate to any degree of fineness and to cause practically a deposit of little else than coarse gold and platinum in the receiver A.

By running the material passing out through either of the outlets H or I through othcrsimilar apparatus any number of grades can be obtained.

The opening in the reduced end F of the receptacle can be readily diminished in size by placing rings of suitable diameter in said end, as indicated bydotted lines at Kin Fig. 2, the rings being held in position by any suitable means-for instance, by resting upon lugs F projected inward at the lower edge of the reduced end F.

The pulp after passing through the outlet H is conducted into an amalgamator or into any receptacle for treatment by eyanid or other processes.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. An apparatus for extracting precious metals from rock, sand, and the like, comprising an upright receptacle having an open contracted bottom or throat, an overflow-outlet top, a valved pulp-outlet near the bottom, a

material-inlet between said two outlets, means for varying the size of the aperture at the contracted bottom, and a receiver through the top of which extends the contracted lower end of the receptacle,said receiver havinga valved liquid-inlet at its top, and a valved concentrates-outlet at the bottom, substantially as described.

JAMES FRANCIS LA IMER. Witnesses:

GEO. STEVENSON, D. P. IlownLL. 

